17.
Mar. 11, 2012

I joined the Vic from HMS Dryad when she was in dry dock in 1964 serving on her until 1967 when she returned from the Far East. I was a Able Seaman Radar 2 Operator.

Take Care,
George Roberts
No P 075078
Daventry, Northants, UK

16.
Jan. 26, 2012

My step father was on the Vic from its first commissioning to 1946 when he left the RN. So what ever the Vic did in the war my step dad was on it. I was born and brought up in Walker on Tyne and as a wee boy saw the Vic being built at the Walker Yard. My real father died when I was seven and my mom was a widow for the next three years. Under wartime regs any available rooms were to be let to the RN to billet ratings ashore. Thus when the Vic was receiving her crew in 1940 most wee billeted around the town. One such was Chief Petty Officer Albert James Gardner TJX133730 a Torpedo Gunners Mate, whatever that was. I did ask him and he said he was a sort of Electrician!.!! Long story shortened he married my mum and they were together for the next 60 years.


I'm still unsure what a TGM did, I always thought a MATE was someone who did the dirty work, carried the tools and cleaned up the mess for the skilled man. So what does a TGM do, being only one step from the top rank of Master, Vic's most important claim to fame was the torpedo that disabled Bismarck's steering gear and thus bringing about her demise. I wonder if my old mans finger prints were on that torpedo? Makes you think. Your web site is great. I was able to see at last where she had been and what she had got up to on her wartime travels. My dad didn't talk much about the war but he did mention when they were in the Pacific, a large number of torpedoes had been brought on deck to speed up the rearming of the aircraft and the Kamikaze were buzzing about!! It was a bit scary he said, especially as she had already suffered damage to her wooden flight deck.
Hope you didn't mind an old man rambling on a bit. But WW2 is still very clear in my mind especially living a spit from the Tyne full of war shipping.

Don Davis

15.
Nov. 28, 2011

I served in Victorious during her 7th Commission (64/65) but have been unable to locate any information relating to this period. Can anyone advise me of a website. Or were we all ‘lost souls' during that time.

Mal Boughton

14.
Sept. 28, 2011

My name is Beverley and i'm looking for my father who served on HMS Hermes and HMS Victorious between 1954 and 1965 we think. He was a l.r.e.m (A) in the Fleet Air Arms on both these ships. We have his service number which is L/F 941366. I would like for you to either be able to trace him or for you to send me some contact numbers or sites on the net so we can trace him. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Miss B. Willner

13.
Mar. 17, 2011

I wonder if Mr. Eddy Taylor's book about HMS Victorious has been published. My father was a Bosun's mate on the Victorious from the time she left Newcastle until she set out on her second assignment to the Pacific. If the book is available I would be very interested in buying a copy.

Sincerely,
Joyce Thornton Harlow

12.
Mar. 14, 2010

I'm what I think you used to call a ‘crabfat' and during my RAF training, I had to produce a thesis on any subject. I was always keen on the RN, so I wrote a thesis on HMS Victorious, 1941 to 1945 and received an award for it. I had a great deal of help from the Admiralty, I must say. Now in my retirement from 53 years on military aircraft, 15 with the R.A.F. and 38 with British Aerospace, I decided first to sit down in my old age retirement in Malaysia, and put my old thesis on CD disc, not available at the time of writing.

This simple task snow-balled into a full mammoth history of the Vic during the period Jan.‘41 to Aug. ‘45, which so far has taken me two years. My whole research has been limited, being so far from home, and I have relied entirely on the Internet. This is freely available information, and have no libraries to which I can refer to previous books on the subject or which I can go to the National archives for help. I intend to publish at some stage.

As you will know, there has already been several books on this one subject, but still feel it is worthwhile. Could I ask you gentlemen for any help of any sort at all, as, as you may imagine, there are a great many holes in my data which I need to fill in. Even a link to a web-site will do, as I research every ship that the Vic came into contact with, with details down to the Captain at that time in history. The ‘Naval History' net was brilliant, as was the ‘U-Boat net', so they can be discounted. I would be very grateful for any help at all.

Thanks and best regards,
Eddy Taylor

11.
July 9, 2009

My dad served on Victorious in the late 50's early 60's. We moved to Canada in 1966. If anyone remembers us please feel free to contact me. Thanks A proud naval officer's son.

Richard Maddocks

10
July 6, 2009

I have a silver lidded sugar bowl engraved “Victorious”. It came from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard during WWII. The hallmark on it indicates it was made in the1890's. Is it possible it was transferred from the 1895 “Victorious” to the 1937 “Victorious”. Did named ships items go from namesake to namesake?

Thank you,
J. Smith

9.
June 19, 2009

I'm told that my late mothers 1st cousin was killed on board HMS Victorious in 1943 (I believe February). His name was either Norman Glenwood Bennetts. His name is on the Navy war memorial at Plymouth. How can I find out the circumstances under which he died?

Many thanks,
John Reynolds

8.
Feb. 3, 2009

My father, Thomas Grant, was in the Fleet Air Arm. He joined HMS Victorious “somewhere in the Pacific” when it was attached to the American Fleet in the Pacific after Pearl Harbour. He told me HMS Victorious was on its way to Australia for repairs when the Japanese surrendered. As “non essential personnel” he was dropped off in Australia and made his way home on HMS Stirling Castle. My father died in 1990. However, my mother will be very interested in this message board.

Diana Grant

Thomas Grant's Service Record

May 1942	HMS Duke (Collingwood Division)	Air Mechanic 2 nd Class
July 1942	HMS Daedalus ( Watford )	“
November 1942	HMS Daedalus	Air Fitter
December 1942	RAF Hedensford	“
July 1943	HMS Merlin	“
November 1943	Lent to HMS Raven	Leading Air Fitter
January 1944	Lent to HMS Blackburn	Leading Air Fitter (Air)
January 1944	Lent to RAF Air	“
February 1944	HMS Wagtail	“
April 1944	Lent to HMS Sanderling	“
September 1944	Lent to RAF Ayr	“
September 1944	HMS Dear Sound	“
September 1944	Lent to HMS Waxwing	Temporary Petty Officer Air Fitter (A)
June 1945	HMS Victorious	“
September 1945	HMS Nabberley	“
December 1945	HMS Alert	“
March 1946	HMS Daedalus	“
March 1946	Lent to Golden Hind

7.
Feb. 19, 2008

MY DAD SERVED ON THE VICTORIOUS IN THE 50S-60S, HIS NAME DEREK FARLEY, HE WAS A CPO IN THE FLEET AIR ARM. I THINK HE WENT TO AUSTRALIA ON HER. HE WAS QUITE A GOOD FOOTBALLER AND PLAYED FOR THE NAVY ON NUMERIOUS OCCASIONS. SADLEY PASSED AWAY 16 YEARS AGO, AND GREATLY MISSED. ANYBODY REMEMBER HIM PLEASE CONTACT ME.    

HIS SON MARK

6.
Feb. 6, 2008

My father CPO ALFRED THORNTON served on the Victorious from 1941 to 1944 I wonder if anyone remembers him. Thank you for such an interesting site. 

Sincerely,
Joyce Thornton Harlow

5.
Dec. 30, 2007

I am searching for my biological father who served on HMS Victorious which was stationed in Portsmouth in April 1966 Now the likelihood of you being my bio father is next to none, so I am just contacting anyone I can who has connections to HMS Victorious and the Men on board during 1966 more so April 1966 when it was in Portsmouth.. This is the info i have posted on a few different Naval Sites. Because one of those 2200 men is my biological father who knows nothing about my existence even :(

I do not want anything from him, I just want him to know of my existence, who knows perhaps he is one of those men who never went on to get married or to have children and may want to know me, or perhaps he has a full house of children and doesn't want to know me Or even may want to know me but he and I will never get the opportunity to know until someone puts him and I together :)

So perhaps as you served on HMS Victorious you may be able to assist me ? perhaps there was only a certain amount of men who had leave in that time ie APRIL 1966 when he would have met my birth mother in portsmouth ? perhaps just by chance someone will know someone who knows someone?

(Anonymous)

4.
Dec. 20, 2007

Is there any sailor alive who remembers CPO David McHolm who served on HMS Victorious 1939 to 1944?

David Richardson

3.
Sept. 15, 2007

My partner's older brother, Thomas Vernon George Butler, know to his family as Vernon, who recently celebrated his 88th birthday served on HMS Victorious during Operation Pedestal and also when the ship was assigned to the US Navy as USS Robin. We visited Malta in May and found a photograph of the ship in the Lascaris War Rooms. We are going to Malta again, later this month and hope to visit the museum in Vittoriosa. I personally have become very interested in the history of the ship. Just a few days ago we were at an open day for Model Makers and were thrilled to see a model of the ship, which actually sailed on the local lake. The Father of the gentleman who owns the model was a pilot on the ship. I was so pleased to discover your web site. Very interesting and the photographs are excellent. I will be letting my partner's brother know about this. He was delighted to have the photograph that I took of the ship in the War Rooms.

Once again, many thanks for this excellent site.
Valentine Sullivan

2.
Mar. 27, 2007

What a pleasure to discover this site. I had the honour to serve on "The Vic" from 1964 to 1967 as a Naval Air Mechanic (Ordnance) both in the workshop and as part of the Air Weapons Supply. It has brought back many happy memories. It is 42 years since I joined her and it only seems like yesterday. Thank you from an old "Bomb-Head".

Charles (Chas) Curtis
- now retired and living in France.

1.
November 17, 2006

LOVELY PICTURES WAS ONBOARD DURING THE 1960'S.

Alan